Sri Lankan President AKD Skips BRICS Summit Amid Election Period

by Zulfick Farzan 08-10-2024 | 5:38 PM

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will not be attending the BRICS summit in Kazan, confirmed Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Vijitha Herath on Tuesday (8).

Earlier this month, Russian Ambassador Levan S. Dzhagaryan called on Sri Lankan Anura Kumara Dissanayake and handed the invitation to take part in the BRICS summit in Kazan on October 22-24, 2024.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will participate at the official level. Although the President has been invited, he will not attend due to the ongoing election period and government activities," Minister Herath stated.

The Cabinet Spokesperson announced that Sri Lanka is actively pursuing membership in BRICS, an international organization currently comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.

He further explained that Sri Lanka hopes to formally request BRICS membership during the summit. "We hope to request BRICS membership for Sri Lanka, and during the recent meeting with the Indian Foreign Minister, we sought India's support for our membership," he added.